ABSTRACT

Ancient religious practice throughout the Near East and the Mediterranean relied heavily on the offering of gifts to the gods.1 In Etruria thousands of dedicatory objects of various sizes, materials and types ll the storerooms of museums and excavations. Terracotta gurines comprise the largest votive category with a long chronological span and a great variety of subjects from simple animal forms to elaborately detailed representations. Many types, especially the “Tanagras,” display strong Greek in uence (Fig. 54.1), others re ect Cypriot and Near Eastern styles.2 Since clay is easily manipulated and reproduced, this medium lends itself to mass production3 alterations. Etruscan terracotta gurines exhibit a particular tendency to “customize” or alter existing molds by changing attributes, duplicating gures and creating new groupings. A closer look at a selection of categories of gurines from Cerveteri and Veii reveals the rich variety that could result in this medium with very little effort.